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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26742508">Earworm</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nadare/pseuds/Nadare'>Nadare</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Goretober 2020 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Song of Horror (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Curses, Descent into Madness, Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, Forgone Conclusion, Gen, Good and Evil, Goretober, Goretober 2020, Haunting, Music, One Shot, Prequel, Psychological Horror, Self-Harm</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:02:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,556</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26742508</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nadare/pseuds/Nadare</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It was a hauntingly beautiful melody that had never really left Masha's mind, striking at random during her daily chores. The music was deep, rich in pitch, the chords suffusing the very air around her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Masha Laskin/Alexander Laskin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Goretober 2020 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1936807</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Annual AO3 Haven October Challenge: Kink Whump Fluff and Gore Bonanza 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Earworm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Prompts: Song, Skull, Abyss, Curse, Ancient, Nails, Beneath, and Worm.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em> <strong>“Earworm”</strong> </em>
</p><p>Mrs. Catherine and the children had disappeared. </p><p>The days leading up to the event had been innocuous. </p><p>Julia and Saul had been determined to prove the existence of a mysterious moving door within the mansion, Catherine paying no mind to their antics at first.  </p><p>Then something changed. </p><p>Suddenly, Catherine began behaving erratically. She covered all the mirrors on every floor, spending more and more time with Julia and Saul, so fervent in her desire to not let them out of her sight that she made sure they stayed in one room together as much as possible.</p><p>She kept them up at all hours, insisting they could have as many sweets they wanted if only they stayed awake with her. Even worst, Julia and Saul went along with her strange wishes in spite of the fact that they clearly needed rest, the family’s faces soon becoming pale with bags underneath their eyes.  </p><p>True, Masha hadn’t been sleeping well herself, suffering nightmares, but she thought the trio’s behavior was excessive. Though she had been with the Hushers for over fifteen years, it wasn’t Masha’s place to dictate how her employers should act.  </p><p>However, the next day Masha realized she hadn’t seen any of the Husher family for hours. </p><p>Leaving her housework for the moment, she set off towards Saul’s room, the last place she’d seen them. But there was no one there. </p><p>Wishing Alexander was back from his trip aboard, Masha searched the mansion from top to bottom to no avail. Catherine and the children were gone. </p><p>Had they somehow slipped outside when she wasn’t looking? Surely Masha would have noticed the trio leaving by the front or back doors.</p><p>And then the crying started.</p><p>It was Julia and Saul, their voices in hushed tones, echoing throughout certain areas of the mansion. Given Masha had proven she was alone, it was most disconcerting. </p><p>Masha began thinking Catherine had done the unthinkable; gone mad and killed Julia and Saul outright before fleeing into the night, yet there would be bodies stashed away somewhere, wouldn’t there?</p><p>Her anxiety high, Masha did what she always did what she was stressed: she took a sleeping pill. </p><p>It was the worst thing she could have done, her dreams full of shadowy figures, countless ghostly faces, and dirty gnarled hands grasping at her whenever she veered close enough to them, their stark coldness upon her skin chasing Masha into wakefulness.</p><p>She shivered, pulling the bed’s comforter tighter around her shoulders. Later on, no matter how close she sat near the fireplace hearth in the downstairs study, the chill never seemed to leave her bones. </p><p>The next evening, Masha forwent any sleeping aids and chose to listen to music, familiar classical pieces on vinyl she and Alexander had managed to bring with them from Russia until her eyelids closed on their own.</p><p>
  <em>She was in a dark cell, the walls covered in thick white padding. Masha tried the door but found it locked. She pounded on it for a few minutes until giving up. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Masha went on the tip of her toes to peer out the door’s opening at the top, seeing more cells across the way, the hallway outside dark as night.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Hello, is anyone out there?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>No answer.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A single note of music played nearby, and the blood in Masha’s veins went cold. She’d heard it before at the mansion from a music box inside Mr. Sebastian’s study. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>It was a hauntingly beautiful melody that had never really left her mind, striking at random during her daily chores. Somehow the music was deeper, richer in pitch, the chords suffusing the very air around her. It pounded relentlessly, Masha raising her hands to her ears as she started for the bed in the corner, the song rising in volume until it vibrated the cell’s walls and floor.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The sound was incessant, droning onward as Masha huddled on the bed. She desperately crawled at her ears, digging her fingernails in, gently at first, then deeper and harder. Hot blood oozed down the sides of her neck, hot drops soaking the clothes on Masha’s shoulders and chest. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The pain was sharp and immense, yet nothing compared to the agony of the playing music. Masha had thought if her hearing was impaired in some way, she would be free of the music, but it hadn’t helped at all. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The song still roared within her, each chord sinking deeper and deeper into Masha’s brain until it was all she could do to exist beyond the music. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>She had to…make it stop. Listening to one more note would drive her utterly insane.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As her gaze landed on the railing of the bed, Masha stilled, releasing the harsh grip on her ears. Or rather the wet ruin of what was left of them.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>If Masha could knock herself unconscious, she would be beyond the reach of the music altogether.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Grasping the railing with both hands, Masha put her head back, then drove it forward as forcefully as she could. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>There was a sensation of pressure, something cracking, and Masha slumped to the side, a small chuckle escaping her as the melody finally began to fade from her awareness.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Soon, everything was blessed silence.</em>
</p><p>She jolted awake in bed, her heartbeat going rabbit fast. Masha checked to make sure she was indeed intact, breathing out a sigh of relief when she found her ears whole.  </p><p>The worst thing about the nightmare was Masha had been sure it had been reality. The measures she’d gone to attempt escape were horrifying but entirely sensible within the logic of a dream. </p><p>It was getting harder and harder to tell the difference lately.</p><p>Masha swept out of the bed, taking as little time as possible to dress. She’d had enough. Masha kneeled down on the floor and pulled out the two suitcases that were stored beneath the bed. </p><p>It had to be the mansion. Something inside lived and breathed, wanting to consume everything it could. </p><p>The damned music box had started it, its influence slowly spreading until it had completely taken over everything. Nowhere was safe, not even dreams.</p><p>She grabbed whatever clothes were at hand, tossing in the bare minimum needed to survive a few days at a motel. Masha also took her and Alexander’s rainy-day fund just in case.</p><p>Nearly halfway through the process of packing, Masha had grabbed a well-worn bible, intending to place it into a suitcase when a familiar voice rang through the air.</p><p>“Masha, honey, why is the door locked?” </p><p>Turning from the bed, Masha swallowed, gripping the bible tighter in her hand. She’d seen such sights in the last few days that she didn’t trust anything anymore. </p><p>“Alexander?” she questioned lightly, hoping that it wasn’t another hallucination. Hearing Catherine and the children cry at all hours was hard enough as it was, but if now her husband was being used to torment her as well… “Go away!”</p><p>Something tried the doorknob, Masha thankful she always kept the bedroom locked at night. “Masha, I do not understand. I thought you would be happy to see me. Have I done something wrong?” </p><p>“You’re not him,” Masha bravely announced despite her racing heartbeat. “You can’t be.”</p><p>“Masha,” Alexander chided, his accent thickening as he continued, switching from English to their native Russian. “Must I prove myself?” </p><p>She closed her eyes, trying not to listen. </p><p>“When your brother went missing and-“</p><p>“Quiet,” Masha snapped, old memories rising to the forefront of her mind. That had been the start of their troubles, eventually leading the couple to America to start a new life together. "You’re trying to trick me.”</p><p>“Why would I do that to my own wife? I came back from my trip as soon as I could so I could be with you. If I’ve done something to offend you, please tell me.”</p><p>Her chest ached, desperately wanting to believe Alexander was standing outside her bedroom door. <br/>
Did she dare to hope? Had God answered her prayers and sent her husband to her as Masha had asked?</p><p>She needed proof. </p><p>“Alexander, what was the name of our child that only got a chance to live but a few days?” </p><p>Her husband’s voice caught for a moment as he responded softly, “Poor dear Sofia.”</p><p>Tears forming in her eyes from relief and love, Masha walked to the bedroom door and unlocked it. She was smiling as she turned the doorknob and pulled the door open. </p><p>Yet what greeted her was not her husband but darkness incarnate, a yawning maw of writhing oblivion that lunged for her.</p><p>Masha gasped, quickly backing away on instinct, panic gripping her as she realized there was nowhere to run. </p><p>Desperate, she turned her back on the evil and opened her bible, reading the first verse she laid her eyes upon, Masha’s mouth moving swiftly. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evi--“</p><p>The encroaching hungry presence behind her quickly overtook Masha, swallowing her mind, body, and soul. </p><p>Silently, the door that had been in her grasp seconds ago clicked shut, leaving behind half-empty suitcases and a single cassette tape that would only serve to deepen the mystery of her disappearance to anyone who happened upon it.</p>
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